ASK Salt Spring: Emcon Managers Answer The Most Asked Questions About Our Roads

Salt Springers have lots of questions about our roads. While the vast majority of the questions were about sweeping and line painting, the other more specific questions also gained the attention of Emcon, our roads maintenance contractors. With our questions in hand, Emcon and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) managers recently toured Salt Spring.

While some answers emerged, others raised a number of new questions. Stay tuned. . . ASK Salt Spring volunteers will continue to seek answers to those unanswered questions.

1) As debris-free roads make our narrow, winding roads far safer for cyclists, when are our roads going to be swept and how often?

MoTI requires Salt Spring’s most-traveled roads (class one and two) be swept this spring before May 15. Also in compliance with MoTI’s mandate, the rest of Salt Spring’s roads will be swept this spring before June 15.

To get more frequent sweeping of our roads, MoTI would have to authorize it.

The unasked question is, given the support MoTI is offering to encourage cyclists and pedestrians, would they be willing to consider a more frequent sweeping schedule?

2) When are our centre lines going to be painted?

All line painting is contracted out by MoTI to a separate contractor, in our case, Ron Danvers. Emcon is working with Ron to make sure that needed road work and sweeping is done so that our lines can be painted later this spring or summer.

Many at ASK Salt Spring have lamented the fact that the environmentally-preferable paint required by the Province simply does not last long enough, too soon fading and contributing to the treachery of our narrow, winding, dark, and often wet roads. Many have asked what it would take to get MoTI to consider more long-lasting, high-tech reflective road safety markings to make our roads safer, especially for our aging population.Would MoTI welcome this conversation?

The fact that line painting is not considered road maintenance, leads us to the question: What are Emcon’s responsibilities

Chip Sealing, Ditching, Grading, Dust Control, Cleaning, Major Crack Sealing, Mowing of Vegetation and Landscape Maintenance,
Paving, Roadside Barrier Repairs, and Sign Maintenance.

3) How can we partner with Emcon to control the invasives that are quickly overtaking our roadsides?

When Emcon and MoTI managers came to Salt Spring, they listened to residents’ concerns about the proliferation of invasives - especially gorse - along our roads.

They toured our island, visiting some of the most worrisome areas. Partnering with our energetic volunteers who for many years have been battling these invasives, both Emcon and MoTI is committed to address this invasion. ASK Salt Spring volunteers will get updates about the planned strategy as soon as it has been developed.

4) Why did the potholes on one side of Seaview get filled while the others remain huge?

Interestingly, when Emcon went to Seaview to measure, the pot holes were determined to be on CRD Parks and Recreation property. Over to you, CRD.

5) Drake Road is in desperate need of some TLC.

This heavily-traveled road is full of potholes and needs to be repaved. Also, its dangerous entrance is extremely hazardous. Emcon managers have committed to discuss the condition of Drake Road with MoTI in their upcoming joint meeting.

6) Why can’t Victoria Street (off Fort Street) be asphalt rather than simply dirt?

It has been a continuous mud- and pot-holed lane for 25 years, and no amount of grading helps.As a result of this concerned neighbour’s question, this issue has been brought to the MoTI area manager for his assessment.

While Friday ASK Salt Spring gatherings have been temporarily postponed, the need for answers is still there and may be even greater. Questions are always welcomed at asksaltspring@gmail.com

Gary Holman will be the special guest for a Zoom meeting 11-1 next Friday, April 10. To join, click here.

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By ASK Salt Spring

ASK Salt Spring is a program of the The Salt Spring Community Alliance - "Neighbours Helping Neighbours Find Answers" The Community Alliance creates opportunities for residents of Salt Spring Island to come together to learn, take action, and make our island home even better.

April 7, 2020 10:24 AM